Report of the second consultation on post-2015 monitoring of drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene, organized by WHO and UNICEF, hosted by the Roya...

Since 1990, the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP) has monitored progress in global drinking-water and sanitation coverage and access. In 2000 it received a formal mandate to monitor progress towards the MDG drinking-water target, with a single indicator, access to improved sources of drinking-water. In 2002, a sanitation target was
added with access to improved sanitation facilities as its indicator. In this context, the JMP has combined its essentially analytical role with normative, advocacy and capacity development functions in support of efforts to accelerate the global expansion of access to safe drinking-water and basic sanitation. Having a target and two indicators within the MDG framework has significantly boosted the international profile of drinking-water and sanitation. Yet, it is widely recognized that current global indicators fall short of measuring progress in some key aspects of drinking-water supply and sanitation services. For example, the normative criteria of the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation include quality, availability, affordability and accessibility, with equity, nondiscrimination, sustainability, accountability and participation as cross-cutting themes and none of these are satisfactorily addressed by the current global monitoring efforts. The continued inequitable distribution of water and sanitation services among population groups has been one of the unfinished agendas of the MDG period. Also, broader aspects of sanitation and wastewater management, and water resources management have received limited or no consideration in the MDG framework. [authors abstract]